WOLF Home Products

Independents Still Rule

admin — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:51:06 +0000

Occasionally we need to remind ourselves of the many virtues of independent building materials dealers. While the building materials industry has seen a number of innovative new entrants (big boxes and online retailers for example), these hardy folks – traditional lumberyards, kitchen design and installation houses, local hardware stores and home centers – are still key players. They still offer great service and great prices especially when it comes to big project items. In other words, despite all the changes in the world of building product supply, independents still rule a substantial portion of that world.

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We Are Number Eight!

admin — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 02:30:16 +0000

Being number one in something confers instant bragging rights; thus the ubiquity of the chant, "We're number one!" So why do I feel so good about having WOLF Classic Cabinets come in at number eight on the K+BB Brand Preference Report Top Ten Stock Cabinet List for 2013? Here's why: 1) we are in very distinguished company; 2) our appearance on the list reflects the speed with which the market has embraced our product; and 3) we are clearly the newbie on the list (we had only been selling WOLF Classic Cabinets for about a year when the survey was taken last fall). So, I'm actually very proud of the fact that at this early stage of our product's life, "We're number eight!"

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The Secret Is Out

admin — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 02:21:22 +0000

Everybody buys the idea that independent LBM dealers provide great service. What many people don't know, however, is that when it comes to certain products—big ticket items like cabinetry, decking, railing and the things you need to build room additions—independent LBM dealers also provide great prices. It's true, and the fact that few people know it makes it one of the industry's best kept secrets. It's time to let this secret out.

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Productive American Workers; Bright Manufacturing Prospects

admin — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 22:03:25 +0000

The old reflexive notion that American manufacturers can’t compete with low cost overseas competitors is fast giving way to a new reality which suggests they can. The reason is because American workers are so much more productive than their overseas counterparts. New studies confirm that while American workers are paid a lot more per hour than workers in many emerging economies, they actually produce more per hour too. Thus, even in comparison with countries with low labor wage rates (like China and India) or with long traditions of manufacturing excellence (like Germany and Japan), American manufacturing workers top the productivity charts.

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Are Independent LBM Dealers Still Relevant?

admin — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 19:58:59 +0000

Are Independent LBM Dealers Still Relevant? It has become quite the rage in some circles to question whether the building materials industry in this modern age should rely so heavily on something as old fashion as independent dealers. In a world of new business orthodoxies, new information technologies, new markets, and new sources ofRead the Rest...

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Counting on Counter People

admin — Mon, 21 May 2012 15:16:45 +0000

Counter people make a huge difference in the success of the building materials dealers they work for. Whether it’s a kitchen and bath design center or a traditional lumberyard, counter people are the eyes and ears – in fact they’re the whole face – of their company. Their vendors count on them to keep them in touch with market preferences; their customers count on them to keep them competitive; and their fellow employees count on them to keep their company – warehouses, logistics, and outside sales – humming. All of which suggests that the job of a counter person is as hard as it is important. It also suggests that these very important people upon whom so many people count deserve great appreciation.

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The War of Independents (For the Big Project Customer)

admin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:54:36 +0000

By Tom Wolf - Independent building materials dealers and the big box chains have each staked out convincing claims to the two extreme ends of the building materials market. But they are engaged in a raging war over the precise location of the boundary line that separates these two important extremes. On the one hand, the big box retailers believe they have a lock on the customer looking for small d-i-y items and tackling small-scale projects. On the other hand, the independents believe they have an equally compelling lock on the big ticket new construction customer.

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Made in America Makes Sense

admin — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 03:44:05 +0000

By Tom Wolf - Depending on whom you believe, manufacturing in the United States is either on the road to nowhere or it is making a neat little comeback. I am convinced it is the latter: manufacturing is coming back in the United States and that is a very good thing for our economy and our future, and it is a great thing for consumers throughout the world.

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